Feb 15, 2012

Shredded chicken breast and broccoli cooked with noodles in a light creamy sauce topped with toasted breadcrumbs. A simple dish the whole family will love, even the little ones!

This is an inexpensive dish, you can make this ahead, then top it with the breadcrumbs and put it in the oven 20 minutes before you are ready for dinner.

I have a great tip I've talked about before but if you are new here you will love this!

I buy chicken breast in bulk because it's less expensive. When I get home from the store I separate the chicken placing some in my refrigerator to use right away, I take a portion and place them in freezer bags to freeze for the future and I set two or three chicken breasts aside and throw them in my crock pot. I pour some water over them and 4-6 hours later I have perfect shredded chicken to use in other recipes though out the week such as enchiladas, chicken salad,stuffed peppers, or whatever! A great way to save time in the kitchen and only takes minutes to do.

Cook noodles in salted water until al dente, or slightly undercooked by 2 minutes. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook on medium heat until golden, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli and a little salt, sauté and cover the broccoli for about 3 minutes on medium heat until the broccoli begins to soften. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat butter over medium-low heat, when melted add the shallot and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir well, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.

Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined over medium heat; whisk well for 30 seconds, then add the milk and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium heat, mixing occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes). Remove from heat and add reduced fat sharp cheddar and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan cheese; mix well until the cheese melts.

Add the shredded chicken, noodles and broccoli to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated.

Pour into a casserole dish and top with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray on top and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes. Place the casserole under the broiler a few minutes to get the crumbs crisp and golden (careful not to burn).

I just made this a day ago and once again, Gina, DELISH!! I used the chicken broth generated by the water in which I cooked the chicken in the crock pot, instead of canned broth. It was really flavorful and I had no fat to skim, even after refrigerating the broth overnight before I assembled the casserole

when you cook the chicken in the crockpot, add a stalk of celery, a carrot, an onion, and a few bay leaves- adds depth to the broth and makes it super yummy! (of course you take them out and throw them away after you're done)

Gina B. A lot of people mistakenly call green onions "shallots" so I think this is where the confusion is. A shallot resembles garlic in that it has "cloves", but it has a mild onion flavor. They are usually near the pearl or boiling onions in your grocery store. They don't always have a red/purple tinge to them, like the ones shown, but can have. Depends on where and when they are grown, I believe. They are great to use when you want a more subtle onion flavor, as are leeks.

Throw the chicken in crock pot with water like Gina said....for mexican recipes add 1 envelope of taco seasoning....delicious mexican chicken....works out perfect for chicken tacos or chicken enchilados...full of flavor.

I put 6-8 frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot, mix about 1 cup of diet coke in a bowl with a capful of original Mrs Dash, and about 1/3 cup spicy salsa (yesterday I was out of salsa, so just used diet coke and Mrs Dash)... cook on low 8 hours! yum!

Jessica - I couldn't agree more. Cheese that doesn't melt is not for me! I always use low fat cheese instead. Really improves the flavor. If I can, I try to cut calories in other areas to make up for the extra calories in the cheese.

Hi Staci- Gina stated in the text before the recipe: "This is an inexpensive dish, you can make this ahead, then top it with the breadcrumbs and put it in the oven 20 minutes before you are ready for dinner." So go for it! :)

Gina, I am a huge fan / follower of yours. Truly love your recipes and rave about them to friends and have introduced your site to the WW office I belong to. :) When you say you put chicken breasts in the crock pot with "some" water, how much water are you talking about? What about using chicken broth instead of just water? Thank you! Jeanne

I put my chicken breast in the crock pot with broth, salt, pepper, sage or poultry seasoning, and a touch of minced garlic. All of the above add favor to the shedded chicken, then after shedding, divide out into receipe size portions, and put into the freezer. Then I can just pull one portion out, and try this great looking receipe. Will try this weekend. (I also prepare 2 or 3 cassorole meals for me & my husband on the weekend) This saves me time, and money (no wasted food) thur the busy week. And keeps me on track!!

Can I ask how much water do you put in the crockpot with the chicken breasts to make the shredded chicken and do you use boneless skinless chicken breast or chicken breast on the bone? Love your recipes by the way!!!

Any idea if this would freeze well? I like to have some recipes that I can assemble and put in the freezers, ready to pull out on the days when life is insane. Don't know how the noodles would hold up. Thank you!

I make a casserole on weekends but portion it out into ramekins and wrap in double layer plastic wrap and freeze. I haven't had a problem with the noodles. Perfect for the crazy nights when comfort food is needed, and the ramekins ensure portion control.

when i've frozen recipes w/ egg noodles like you used, they tend to get a little dry and/or broken when they're not fully covered in sauce. presentation might be affected but taste should be okay if you add extra liquid when reheating.

If anyone is looking for a super fast way to shred chicken breasts: toss the cooked chicken breasts in the bowl of your stand mixer and, using the paddle attachment, turn the stand mixer on low. Turn the stand mixer off when the chicken is your desired level of shredded - it takes about 10 seconds!

I get the feeling that you don't mind people sharing their versions of your recipes...my changes were due to "cleaning out the fridge". I used 93% fat free ground turkey instead of chicken. I added sliced fresh portobello mushrooms to the sauce while it was thickening (yum!). I deleted the breadcrumbs (personally don't find them worth the points). With my changes my points value went up significantly (9 pts+ per serving) but I guess that was the turkey? Nonetheless, I enjoyed it immensely! Thanks!!

Will the noodle police haul me away if I use, oh let's say, corkscrew pasta? Or Elbows? ( I'm trying to use up what I have, sitting around, opened.) I just wonder how it will affect the sauce. Guess I'll try and see! ( and report back, of course!)

I just make my own bread crumbs by toasting whatever reduced calorie wheat bread I have in the house before it goes bad. That way, the bread crumbs fit within the Simply Filling Technique, too! Just season them with some italian seasoning.

I made this for dinner tonight, it was great!! I had to make a few changes due to what I had in my pantry. I used plain ramen noodles instead of the noodles called for in recipe. Also, I didn't have shallots on hand, so used onion/garlic instead. In addition, I didn't have any cheddar so I used colbyjack cheese. Even with the revisions, this was great and was a bit hit. Thanks for the recipe!

I made this last night, wow oh wow it was really good! I found your website about three weeks ago and I have cooked nothing but food from your website..I feel like I owe you something for helping me make such great healthy and good tasting meals for my family. Gina you are the best, thank you so much...

I made this tonight but had to substitute the cheeses for what I already had which was a Mexican cheese blend and Italian cheese blend (Sargento). It was good.. but not great. I know that it's only because of my substitutes! This dish needs the rich potent flavors of the sharp cheddar and parmesan or it won't be nearly as flavorful. ..Just a lil tid-bit for all you out there who may be considering subbing. I'll definitely try this again using the suggested ingredients.

Thanks so much for all of your recipes, Gina! They have truly been a blessing. My husband is on weight watchers and I am health conscious so they suit everyone. I love that you use whole and mostly natural ingredients! You make this novice cook feel like a pro! =)

I made this for dinner last night and it was excellent! The hubs gobbled down two huge platefuls!

I only made a few changes. I had frozen broccoli/cauliflower, so I threw that in with the boiling noodles and put the garlic in with the sauce mixture. I didn't have any shallots, so I used half a medium onion instead. I also doubled it so that we could eat it for a 2nd meal. A little time consuming, but will definitely make it again!

Hi Gina. I am making this as I type. How did you come up with 6 points? My e-tools shows 8 and I substituted light butter and whole wheat pastry flour, both of which have fewer points but kept everything else exact. Wait. I didn't have the Smart Ronzoni pasta but Healthy Harvest, which might be the difference...ack, maybe the Ronzoni has fewer points. It looks divine, regardless.

Wow this is tasty! We had it tonight and it was a huge hit. I have to THANK YOU for all of your recipes, I started Weight Watchers in January and your recipes have certainly helped me with this adventure! I noticed that there are lots of comments about the points, my calculator also came up with a higher number so I have made 8 portions instead of 6, keeping the 6 point count! Thanks again Gina!

You are a miracle worker Gina! My kids hate broccoli but ate this up with gusto and both exclaimed how delicious it was. My 12 year old claims "the skinny taste lady has some great ideas!". Couldn't agree more.

I was craving a casserole so I tried this recipe tonight and it was AMAZING! My 1 year old has been giving me a hard time about eating (especially veggies) and everytime she took a bite she said "Mmmmmm"! This will be put in my "Make Again" pile!

I made this today, and I used a lot less garlic than it called for and it was still SUPER strong. Any more and it would have been inedible! But other than that it was amazing. The sauce was so good, and I used whole wheat flour instead of regular flour!

Very good!! I made this last night. I didn't have fresh garlic... forgot to buy it so I used the minced in the jar (2 tsps )and just put the broccoli in right after I got it in the pan. I also didn't have shredded parm, so i used the reduced fat grated. Worked great!!

Got any other recipes for the shredded chicken? I put mine in crockpot just now and realized my frozen package was just over 4 pounds! Oh, why did I not break it up when I bought it? Anyway, if you have other ideas for the shredded chicken, that would be great!

Hello Gina, the last month I have been cooking your meals and everybody in my family loves it - including kids plus I am loosing weight after having a baby. Your website is fantastic. Do you have a Czech origin or hubby? Your last name sounds Czech =) I am from there. Thanks for all your work!

I have absolutely never ever posted a comment on a website before. I just couldn't resist any longer. Your food is DELICIOUS!!! I made this casserole for dinner tonight, and it was amazing. So flavorful. ALL of your recipes are very flavorful. My fiance & I love it. The first one I ever cooked was your chicken nuggets. I will never purchase store bought chicken nuggets again. And my absolute favorite recipe has been your Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmigiana. You make cooking healthy so easy, enjoyable, and tasty!! You have so much talent, and I truely appreciate your work into this website. :o) This is my go to website for a delicious, healthy recipe for dinner. Thank you!

Your idea for buying the chicken in bulk and preparing some immediately in the slow cooker is GENIUS! So obvious and simple, but I never would have thought of that on my own! Have some in my crock pot right now. Thank you Gina!!!

I started Weight Watchers yesterday and my meal plan for the entire week consists of recipes from Skinnytaste! I made this for the first time last night, and my husband agreed - this is a definite keeper. It was delicious! The sauce was amazing - and could even be used for other meals.. I'd like to figure out how many points are in just the sauce alone.

I just made this tonight. It was sooooo delicious!!! I must say I had more then I should have but I'll just count it :-) I'm so happy I found this site. It's the best site EVER!!! My boyfriend was getting sick of my bland w.w food and told me if I didn't find some new meals he would stop the "diet" food. He loved this and we are going to do a feature Friday with these recipes :-)

Just made this for dinner and it was really good! Perfect amount of flavor from the shallot and sharp cheese. I will definitely make it again. I'm a novice in the kitchen so this recipe was a little time consuming for me, and seemed like a lot of work, but it was well worth it. Somehow when I printed the recipe it left out the line that tells you to add the flour so when I was done I realized I never put the flour in. It still turned out really good, just maybe wasn't quite as thick as it should be.

Made this tonight and it is sooo yummy. I was bummed I didn't have an onion or shallot but it was still yummy. While waiting for the chicken to finish cooking I couldn't keep my fork out of the skillet with the sauce, noodles and broccoli! Yum!

I just made this recipe. It is FANTASTIC!! Lots of flavor and easy to make. I used rotisserie chicken breast and Weight Watchers cheddar cheese blend in the recipe. Since I like my broccoli limp, I omitted the saute step with olive oil, garlic and broccoli. Instead, I put the broccoli into the pasta water with the pasta. Then, I used 1T, 2 teas. butter and sauteed the garlic and shallots together, then continued with the recipe. I have made 3 recipes of Gina's and they are all keepers. Thanks, Gina!

I made this for dinner last night and we loved it! It was a great combination of flavors. I sauted the broccoli a little longer than recommended and I add a tablespoon or two of the chicken broth as well, as the pan seemed a little dry. As a time saver I used a rotisserie chicken breast from the grocery store. Will be making this again!

I made this for a potluck this weekend... with a few minor adjustments - completely gluten free and spicy grilled chicken instead of shredded. It was delicious and a big hit even with folks who didn't know it was GF! Thanks for another great recipe!

Just made this & thought it was delicious! Definitely a keeper! I stumbled upon your site a few months ago when Julie (at PBF) referenced a receipe of yours. The only other recipe I have made so far were the 'Chocolate Chip Cloud' cookies. I love those!!! (and have made them several times) :) Keep up the good work!!

made this last night...took some time, but so worth it! i shredded up a roasted chicken instead (took the skin off of course) and it came out extremely yummy. plus i have leftovers for the next few days!

I've been on a health kick lately and this site has helped me so much! I made this dish tonight and my family LOVED it! It was a little bland but with a little dash of salt and pepper it was perfect! Thanks so much!

I've been using your website for months and I thought it was about time I posted! I'm not actually watching my weight or anything, but like Carolyn I've started a bit of a health kick, so I'm constantly looking for recipes that are low in fat and good for you AND taste good - your recipes definitely hit the spot! I made this for my convenience food addicted siblings and they adored it! I made chicken stock whilst making the shredded chicken (first time ever!) and I could really taste the difference - no more cubes! I added more cheese and used frozen mixed veg - delicious!! :-)Thank you!

I made this over the weekend and it was delicious. I did have to substiute onion for the shallot since my local store didn't have shallots and I had to use mild cheddar instead of sharp since my store also didn't have sharp low fat cheddar. I also cut my chicken up and sauted it in the pan with a little oregano (I also added oregano to the sauce while it was cooking). The only change I'd make would be to cook the garlic with the onion/shallot and to cut the brocoli smaller. A keeper recipe!

Wow, I can't help drooling. I just love the Chicken and Broccoli Noodle CasseroleWell done! If you submitted your Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole photos to http://www.foodporn.net , I'll bet they will make you on the home page. Gosh, you have made me sooo hungry !

Made this last night with farfalle noodles, and substituted skim milk for the 1%. The sauce was thinner than Gina's, but it was still wonderful. Even with rotisserie chicken, though, prep time was about an hour, probably because I'm a klutz at shredding chicken! I'll make it again, though, because for the two of us, there's plenty for at least one more meal!

Made this last night. SO good. A little time consuming but easy none the less. The only changes I made: I used unsalted butter, and just added salt later, used unsweetened almond milk and used the Purdue marinated chicken breasts. I also grilled them on the George Forman and shredded them after. Everything about this was amazing, the fiance said 'its the best thing I ever ate'... it probably isn't but it was damn good!

I made this the other day. There were no shallots at the grocery store so I used 1/2 a red onion instead. It was a big hit! I loved it! I may take the soup-base recipe (chicken broth, cheese, flour etc) and use it with potatoes or broccoli to make some soup. I had to try it as I was making the recipe and it was so good!

I decided to try this last night because I am looking for healthier recipes to get away from our "Taco Tuesday" routine. Husband and I loved it!!!! Used No-Yolks and added a 1/2 tsp black pepper when making the broth/milk/flour sauce just to give it a bit of spice. It was husband approved (and my husband is a Meat and Potatoes guy). I will be making this again!

Made this tonight and it was delish. I used the Veggie Rotini (zucchini and spinach flavored) and it was so great. My husband ate tons of it...going to double the recipe next time! Has anyone ever frozen this?

I want to like this recipe - I really do. But unfortunately it is not very family friendly. It takes way too long, involves way too many components, and results in way too many dishes. Who has time for all of that when you have a family to feed?? Also, listing the recipe in paragraph form is a huge no-no. From one chef to another, can you please post your recipies in list (step by step) format? That way I don't have to keep re-reading your paragraphs over and over to catch my place again when I'm in the middle of cooking. Thanks.

I made this tonight with some changes mainly because of what I had on hand due to Hurricane Sandy. I used leftover chicken from a rotisserie chicken we made on the grill Sunday (before it started raining), reduced fat mozzarella and colby jack cheeses, frozen broccoli and regular egg noodles. Surprisingly I had a shallot and fresh garlic cloves on hand. I didn't have breadcrumbs so I didn't top it. It was delicious, the hubby LOVED it.There's only about 1/4 left, not enough for a full lunch serving, LOL.

I don't really like minced garlic or shallots so can I just make the make this with garlic powder and onion powder? Or is there any other suggestions? Also, what size casserole dish should I be using and do we cook the chicken on high or low in the crockpot? Sorry for all the questions. I hardly ever cook, with the excetion of 4 other recipies from this site.

This is currently in the oven. I am struggling with WW but am getting annoyed because I cannot find lower fat cheddar etc here in Victoria, BC. Same with the reduced fat gorgonzola for one of the salads :( M.

This was fabulous!!! I made it exactly like you said, but we did add Sriracha Sauce with it and it was amazing! We are now addicted to that sauce after having it for the Asian Glazed drumsticks!Thank you for taking the time to post amazing recipes!

I am a picky eater, as well as the rest of my family and have a hard time finding healthy meals we all like. This one is a HUGE hit my family and we absolutely love it. I am prediabetic so for the past I use Dream Fields, which has only 5 digestible carbs per serving. It tastes great and still low fat and low carb. I have tried other recipes from this website and love them